Mamata Banerjee to launch election campaign on 4 December, 14th anniversary of her hunger strike protesting Singur

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will start her election campaign from December 4, which also marks 14 years of the hunger strike she had started protesting the setting up of the small car factory in Singur.

Banerjee had started her hunger strike from Kolkata’s Metro channel on December 4, 2006 that had helped build up a movement across the state that eventually led to the end of 24 years of the Left Front rule in West Bengal in 2011. Right now, after 14 years, there’s a tough challenge before Banerjee again, this time as she fights as chief minister. Will she be able to win for the third time in a row?

Subhendu Adhikary, young Trinamool leader who was by her side 14 years ago, may soon desert her – more of an official step that now seems inevitable. Under this backdrop, Banerjee is preparing to start her election campaign significantly on December 4. She will meet leaders of her party from all across the state over videoconferencing on that day.

A section of the Trinamool Congress leaders and working are preparing themselves to fight the election ahead without Adhikary, who has been an important and integral part of the party for years. They are in fact, looking forward to hearing what message Mamata Banerjee will give them on that day about Subhendu and those who are close to him. How tough will it be for the party if Adhikary and several others quit the party and join Opposition parties?

On December 7, Banerjee will address a public meeting in West Midnapore. Her next meeting will be in Bongaon on December 9. Following this, she will head towards north Bengal, where a series of meetings are scheduled.

Trinamool Congress insiders say that that Banerjee hasn’t started her election campaigns so much ahead of an election before. The 2021 Assembly elections are likely to take place tentatively in May 2021, depending on when the Election Commission schedules the dates. However, it is almost six months to the elections still, and never have her campaigns been kicked off so early.